PRESCOTT, Ariz. -- The photograph is powerful -- compelling in the eyes of some, an insult to others -- showing the body bags containing the remains of the 19 Granite Mountain firefighters lined up on the scorched earth, each draped in an American flag.

The photo has sparked a public debate after being published Thursday on a social media page dedicated to the elite firefighting crew, who died Sunday fighting the Yarnell Hill fire 30 miles from their home base in Prescott.

The bodies had been removed from the scene where the fire swept over them. Prescott fire officials say that after becoming overrun by flames, the men grouped together and deployed their sleeping bag-like fire shields, the last line of defense against the intense heat of a blaze.

Being involved in a recovery operation more then once I was amazed at the human emotional drive to return victims to their loved ones. There is no identifying information in this photo so i personally do not see a problem with it.

We live in a HOA with private roads, and when we had a fire pictures appeared on the TV news and in the newspaper. We have asked the TV news crews not to report in our neighborhood and they respect that. The pictures came straight from the Fire Department within hours of being taken.

The Fire Chief said that photos they take are in effect “public property” and he has to release them if asked - even if we did not give him permission to take the pictures.

It may be the same here if our Fire Chief (also in AZ) is accurate - pictures taken while on duty are “public property”. After all they closed that area to the public and they were on duty at the time.

If it ends up that these Yarnell pictures could have been withheld I’m going to have another chat with our Fire Chief about photography and release of pictures to the press/TV...:^)

Do you know if there is an address where my husband and I could send a donation to the families. Mr. RR is a former Hot Shot crew director (USDA Forest Service, Region 2, back in the ‘70’s.) We would love to help.

What angers me is the government’s stupidity/evil when they don’t employ the latest super fire fighting planes (which they are now doing, 45 days to get it ready). Or government enviro-nazis stopping choppers from taking water from sacred environmental ponds and fire fighters die.

I am not outraged by the picture. It makes me sad and reminds me of how fragile life is and how magnificent these brave men were.

What does anger me is the fact that The Vice President is going to intrude on the memorial service. For political purposes. For this I rate him (and his boss for sending him) right down there with the Westboro Baptist gang.

20
posted on 07/05/2013 8:37:42 PM PDT
by Tupelo
(The Government lies, then the media lies to cover up the government lies.)

Evergreen Aviation’s 747 Super Tanker. Only one so far. The company spent 40 million in developement with plans for four planes. Forest Service never gave them a contract till now. Plane has been in mothball and takes 45 days to activate.
Spreads a swath of fire retardent 300 feet wide by 3 miles long.

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